Abstract & Synthesis: MI Chapters 7, 9, 13, & 14 Group 2: Devin Boilard, Ashley Godbout, & Russell Warren
Abstract:
In Chapters 7 and 9 of Thomas Armstrong's Multiple Intelligences in the Classroom, the author delves into the implications and importances of integrating MI theory in the organization and planning of both the classroom and the entire school. On a micro scale, the classroom is probably the most important environment the students find themselves on a daily basis, and has a huge influence on their learning. Therefore, it's important to make it welcoming to all types of learners. Earlier in the book Armstrong highlighted MI activities, but in this chapter he focuses on aesthetics and atmosphere. He lists many examples, including, but not limited to, keeping a proper vocabulary, using posters to reflect the topic, arranging furniture accommodatingly, fostering trust, and providing independent spaces. A specific example he stresses to use is MI Activity Centers, where the students move around the room and learns about MI theory and learning styles. He expands this to the entire school and administration as well. It's unfortunate that when budgets are stressed, art and phys. ed classes are the first to go. With MI theory, these classes should be beefed up and required for students to try out, and make sure there are opportunities for students to take those classes all of their years in school. He also stresses for their to be people like guidance counselors to follow students' progress and development, decide what specific classes specific students should take, and provide the students with resources to use.
In chapter 13 of MI Armstrong introduces other applications of MI theory in the classroom, he breaks them down into three parts: computer technology, cultural diversity, and career counseling. Technology has become a great tool to help foster learning as well as bring a level of entertainment to the process; its ability to work within the MI theory is no exception. Armstrong notes the stance of computers as “intelligence neutral zones”, removing the stereotypical assessment of their use purely for the logical/mathematically inclined. Rather the possibilities of computer technology emerge through the use of software programs. Armstrong suggests using MI theory to help with the selection process of what programs to promote and select for use in your classroom. Through selection of various features and programs teachers have the opportunity to interface with select intelligences or incorporate all into one learning experience. One the most recent and emerging possibilities in this realm is with the use of multimedia software, features of many of these tools allow for an emerging of intelligences while still having a strong grounding in content. Second, the topic of cultural diversity and the use of MI theory, in these paragraphs Armstrong promotes the use of MI theory to develop curriculums into multi cultural units. While it is noted to be sure not to limit the abilities of certain cultures to just one intelligence, it is useful to explore how other intelligences have elevated status around the world. This can show itself in the classroom through the purposeful inclusion of an intelligence due to its significance to a students heritage and culture. By incorporating the use of music or dance in the classroom the topic of the Anang in Nigeria and their societal requirements involving both can be discussed. Not only does this enlighten students to the ways of other cultures but also allows for validation of students who are culturally diverse and brings a topic into context to their life. Lastly the use of MI to help steer career counseling is discussed. This one of the more obvious uses of MI theory but yet an important one. By connecting a student’s skills to real life scenarios you empower them and show meaning in their abilities.
Chapter 14 of MI introduces the possible9th intelligence, existentialism, and its applications in the classroom. Gardner describes this intelligence as “having a concern with ultimate life issues” students who posses this intelligence have the ability to think large scale and dive deep into their thinking process. When applying this intelligence in the classroom it is important not to promote the beliefs of specific religions but rather to explore them to gain a better understanding of their beliefs and how they apply to your content. Existential intelligence can be incorporated in all disciplines, its strength being that it allows for direct relation to your subject matter. In the humanities the role religion plays is a significant one, to discuss the role it has played in wars can not just stop at a name, how the opposing sides views differ and why that is grounds for warfare is crucial to understanding the battle. Rooted deep into the history of mathematics and science are the questions of life, meaning and purpose. Many early scientists and mathematicians were equal part philosophers. Lastly in the arts Gardner explains the connection between the submerging of oneself in artistic work and its allowance to place oneself into the big picture of life. It is during these process that we find ourselves reflecting on the big questions such as: What is the meaning of life? Why is there evil? And what is love?
Synthesis:
Chapter seven introduces the idea of setting up our classrooms so there are different stations or sports designated to all the intelligences. Overall, we thought this was a cool idea because it allows students to explore the multiple intelligences and find where they fit. Cheyenne notes that this idea reminded her of kindergarten, but no one mentioned that there high school classroom was set up this way? It's interesting to think about why this structure in the classroom fell through the cracks. Everyone thought that idea of MI school was a neat idea but thought it might take time to implement into already established public schools. In chapter 13 there was a part that introduced using multiple intelligences to explore career choices for students. Meghan says, "The key for the earlier stage is to let the students come up with what they want to pursue rather than dictating a career for them based on their intelligence strengths." Exposing students to career opportunities in each of the intelligences is extremely important at the middle and high school level. Lastly, everyone commented on the introduction of the existential intelligence, which is considered the unofficial ninth intelligence. Most of us thought it was a great idea and we'd be open to implementing it into our classes, however we understand it's controversy. People thought this might help students develop their own views and could allow for real life application. Chris says it perfectly with this statement, "The goal of multiple intelligence is to build each student’s strength and weaknesses while being adaptable to each student’s needs. Even if the intelligence may be overshadowed by the others, it can only help the students to be exposed to other ideas."
Cheyenne McCarthy
Chapter seven of Thomas Armstrong's "Multiple Intelligences in the Classroom" is titled MI Theory and the Classroom Environment. As you can see from the title, this chapter is all about promoting the usage of MI Theory as a way to structure your classroom in a way that appeals to all students. The chapter describes ecological factors of learning through each intelligence, as well as "MI Activity Centers". Creating MI activity centers is a way of restructuring your classroom to create "intelligence-friendly" areas which allows all of your students to explore and find their niche. I thought this was funny because all I could think of was my Kindergarten class
, which was set up in this way, with multiple stations.
Chapter nine, titled The MI School, this chapter focuses on the full integration of MI Theory into the school, not just select classrooms. This would be an entire school that caters to the student based off their specific learning style (based off this theory). Although I do think this is a brilliant idea, I do think that it is going to take some time to start integrating this method into classrooms then an entire school. I think that offering one or two classes that really cater to each learning style would be very beneficial. There would be a lower drop-out rate, students would be excited to come to school; even the students that say they hate school. It may just take on or two classes to open their eyes to the possibilities of learning being fun and/or fascinating. I think Mount Blue has been trying to do this with their Foster Tech school.
The use of computer technology, cultural diversity, and career counseling were main points in chapter 13, Other Applications of MI Theory. It discusses how computers are “intelligence-neutral mechanisms”, which I had never really thought about, but it’s true. It also gives you a bunch of examples in Figure 13.1 that caters to individual learning styles. It also gives you many examples of each, because within each intelligence, you are going to have different interests that students will have. This chapter also gives examples of jobs specific to individual intelligences. I will just note as well, that “teacher” shows up an six of the eight intelligences, school principal was on one of the two that did not have teacher listed, and only one had intelligence style had no form of a school type job. Just thought that was interesting.
The idea of a ninth intelligence, which was the discussion topic of chapter 14 (MI Theory and Existential Intelligence), sort of made me laugh; only because Existential Intelligence is based off the “concern with ultimate life issues”. This is where I want you to just stop and think about this for a minute. A concern with ultimate life issues, really think about that; I’m sure we could say we all have, some people more than others, but now think about how long you have been learning with your specific intelligence. What I’m getting at is, many of us have been learning a certain way for as long as we can remember, so to think of an five-year-old as having the Existential Intelligence is almost terrifying to me, but not surprising. We are now living in the time of the “helicopter parent” which is the parent who is always hovering, when their child is hurt it’s always an emergency whether it is a broken arm or merely a papercut. We are creating children who are/will become stress cases. At age you should be carefree, there should be little to no stress, thinking of what you’re going to get for snack, not thinking of ultimate life issues.
Tyler Michaud
The seventh chapter of Multiple Intelligences in the Classroom, by Thomas Armstrong, focused on inviting multiple intelligence theory into the classroom environment, or “classroom ecology”. By fostering a classroom that meets the needs of all the intelligences, student success should, in theory, be a given. Now, this is not solely about curriculum, rather the organization of the classroom itself. For example, a naturalistic student would prefer to have light coming into the classroom from outdoors; or, a spatial students may crave a aesthetically pleasing room with many posters. Chapter nine explored further the idea that schools should shift from the traditional linguistic and logical methods to embracing MI Theory, doing so will reach a larger audience. Often times, when budget cuts occur in a school district the arts and sports are cut to save money, completely eliminating the opportunities for many students to develop essential skills. Additionally, In the ideal “MI School” their would be three additional employees: assessment specialist (in charge of recording each students’ progress and development in each intelligence), student-curriculum broker (pairs students with their ideal classes and materials based on intelligences), and school-community broker (places and connects students with out-of-school resources and opportunities that will benefit their personal strengths and interests). Moving on to chapter thirteen, the author explores three additional places where MI Theory could be applied: computer technology, cultural diversity, and career counseling. Personally, I think that incorporating technology into the classroom is critical because we live in a time where everything is driven by it. Also, students living today have all had computers and technology ingrained in their lives, it would be foolish to neglect to opportunity to use their pre-existing knowledge as a tool to hasten learning. Chapter fourteen introduced a new intelligence, though it does not meet all of the criteria so it is not included yet, “existential intelligence”. This new intelligence refers to the more philosophical perspective of viewing the meaning of life and a higher power. Although there could be much controversy teaching and implementing this intelligence, I think it could be a great tool to use for further investigation of materials. Especially, in high school students are truly starting to develop their own views and this could allow for real-life application, which is a proven to be successful. Overall, these chapters all had an underlying theme of change and flexibility within the classroom. A teacher whom intends to apply MI Theory effectively must be willing to admit mistakes and change their plans. Through understanding, flexibility, and self-evaluation, teachers should be able to successfully implement MI Theory into their classrooms; doing so will permit all students the opportunity to succeed and to develop each intelligence throughout the course of the class.
Matt Potter
Chapter seven of MI talks about the opportunities we have as teachers to be creative, think about things that we usually overlook, classroom seating, and the overall environment of the class. The chapter describes all eight intelligences, and how they relate to a student of that intelligence feel in class. They present this really cool idea about have MI activity centers in schools. This would set up different environments for students of different intelligences to study, do homework and learn. This would allow kids to be really productive. If schools provided study rooms for our intrapersonal learners, and a social room for interpersonal students, then I believe we would find this to be an effective for our students. Adjusting environments is important as teachers because we need to modify our way, for the best interests of our students.
Chapter nine focuses on MI in the school as well. It discusses the importance of gearing an entire curriculum to integrating multiple intelligences. In a MI school, students focus on learning regular material in irregular ways. Project based learning is the number one focus of the curriculum. Also in this curriculum students are to be assessed and evaluated through the use of portfolios. In this curriculum students spend the second half of their day in a social learning environment, like being out in the community. I think this curriculum is a great idea and could be very useful; however, I think it would be hard to create. It seems to me like something that would be difficult to get everyone on board with.
Chapter thirteen talks about applying multiple intelligence theories, and translating them into effective classroom activities. Many useful resources are given in this chapter that can be used in different ways, and bring the realization of becoming a teacher to the foreground. This all includes diversity and the use of technology with in the classroom. We as teachers are able to incorporate all different learning styles with the use of a single technology. The lists of games in this chapter were really interesting and got my mind thinking! This chapter is really helpful, and s a great resource for teachers. This book will be useful as a teacher, and I will refer back to it.
Chapter fourteen looks into the possibilities of a ninth multiple intelligence. Gardner has yet to complete the exploration of this intelligence. This intelligence would be known as the “why” intelligence or the existential. Students with this intelligence are highly self aware if their place and are always wondering about the “why”. This is mostly approachable in the mathematical, and science fields. This chapter shows how the existential students will show their strengths in different courses, but also this intelligence comes out best with controversy. I feel like this intelligence is a great idea. I have most definitely seen student who are always asking why, even if they understand. They are always looking for understanding. I feel like it is a good possibility, but I don’t believe it will actually be added because it brings upon a lot of underlying issues. Schools would have to tread carefully and it would be easy to upset parents.
Ashley Godbout
Chapter 7 invites the idea that classroom environments today need to be rebuilt in order to accommodate all learning styles. An application of MI theory in the classroom includes organizing the room so that certain areas of the room are designated to each of the eight intelligences. There are four types: permanent and open-ended, temporary and open-ended, temporary and topic-specific, and permanent and topic specific. My favorite is the temporary open-ended stations because they can be quickly set up and taken down and invite students to explore open-ended activities. It’s also a good way for students to learn about the idea of multiple intelligences and have them experience them.
Chapter 9 explains what a multiple intelligence school would look like. They should include environments where learning is hands-on, interdisciplinary, based on real-life situations, and all done in an informal atmosphere. Traditional subjects should incorporate non-traditional ways like projects, community involvement, and field trips like art and science museums. The chapter continues with what staff an MI school would have and they include a student-curriculum broker, school-community broker, and an assessment specialist. One idea I like of the total learning experience that MI schools foster are school wide themes. The school staff select two themes a year and it helps focus curricular activity, which is especially important for middle and high school students to connect what they’re learning across all disciplines.
Three other areas of application of MI theory are computer technology, cultural diversity and career counseling. Computers can be used for many things including multi-media projects, which can include many of the intelligences. If one puts texts, data charts, pictures, songs, and videos they are expressing many intelligences and putting it all together is intrapersonal intelligence. What’s important to note about what this chapter says is that every culture has and uses all eight intelligences. Career counseling includes exposing students to occupations related to each of the intelligences through visits and field trips. This allows students to make their own decisions about what they want to do. It’s so important to give students these opportunities especially at the middle and high school level.
Chapter 14 introduces the idea of a ninth intelligence called the existential intelligence. Howard Gardner defines it as “a concern with ultimate life issues.”(182) This intelligence could propose some controversy because they might be violating students’ belief systems, but it is not promoting religion or spirituality in any way. This intelligence addresses humanity’s life questions and how humans struggle to find answers. I think it’s a tough decision to make as a teacher to decide whether or not they want to incorporate this into curriculum but I think it’s extremely relevant. Some students might not be exposed to such conversation to be able to compose their own views. Such experiences in addressing open-ended questions and subjects could be very useful for students to apply them to situations later on in their life.
Collectively, these chapters continue to develop the MI classroom, teacher and school and what they look like. These efforts are to understand and successfully teach to all different learners.
Christopher Vogel
When I think about classroom environment I think of how a classroom is set up physically. Chapter 7 takes the concept in a completely different direction. Classroom environment does not just concern itself with how a room is set up but the atmosphere as well. The chapter focuses on linguistic as an example. As a teacher if I am talking at too high or low of a vocabulary level, students could be put off (feel discouraged, intimidated, bored etc.). As a teacher I need to take the time to create a working environment for the student that is appealing to all the different intelligences. One helpful way to encourage the different intelligences is to set up activity stations. Although this may be a little more difficult in a secondary education setting, I could use stations as a way to give students multiple choices on what classwork to complete. I could group them according to their intelligence preference and assign a quadrant of the room to several different intelligences.
Sometimes working on the MIs in the classroom is not enough. Chapter 9 discusses methods that can be used school wide to improve the learning conditions outside of linguistic and logical. The students would have specialists who would help direct projects or help them find resources specific to their intelligence preference. However, the book encourages the idea that each student is exposed to all forms of intelligence and not kept to their strengths. In my future school I hope to be able to encourage the school to introduce some of these methods if they are not already in place.
Chapter 13 deals with three areas of interest not yet covered in the book. Computer technology is an area that has potential for any of the intelligences. The book stresses that computers are intelligence neutral which means that anyone has the potential to use them and are not relegated to “nerds.” The chapter also discusses the cultural diversity of the classroom and how this diversity can be a point of discussion about different ways intelligences are valued in other cultures. The chapter makes the point that as educators we should be wary of specifying intelligences for other cultures as each culture has strengths in all intelligences. The last section involves introducing career choices for students. The key for the earlier stage is to let the students come up with what they want to pursue rather than dictating a career for them based on their intelligence strengths. The book suggests brining students on field trips to expose but not direct their choice for a career.
Despite existential intelligence not being classified as a full intelligence, I will still work with it in the classroom. The goal of multiple intelligence is to build each student’s strength and weaknesses while being adaptable to each student’s needs. There is enough of a foundation for the existential intelligence to create some class activities around it. Even if the intelligence may be overshadowed by the others, it can only help the students to be exposed to other ideas.
Meghan Hughes
Chapter 7 of Multiple Intelligences in the Classroom, focused on “classroom ecology.” It is important to bring multiple intelligences in to the classroom not only for the individual in focus, but also for all the other students in the classroom. This idea not only deals with the content of the classroom, but also with the classroom management and the style in which the class is formatted. It essential for all students that the class ecology does not take away, but rather adds to the effectiveness of the classroom and the students learning. It is also essential that student’s work be passed back in a timely fashion. It is important for the students to feel as though they are being fairly evaluated, and that they all have an equal opportunity to succeed. Chapter 9 discusses an extension on the subject of grading in the classroom. As a student, I always found it ironic that it was almost as if my teachers were trying to trick me into getting an answer incorrect on an assessment. It is essential that we as teachers do not try to disadvantage our students on any sort of assignment or assessment. The book uses extra credit as an example of a way that our students may be disadvantaged. Although it may not seem it, if any information is important enough to be on the exam at all, it should be included as a question for assessment. It is also important that we do not reward students for getting answers correct that have no bearing on the content at hand. It is also important that students understand the importance of the information, and that information is carried across boundaries on a specific content area.
Chapter 13 focuses on the additional areas where multiple intelligences could be included: computer technology, cultural diversity, and career counseling. I believe that each of these aspects be included in the classroom in one-way or another. With knowing the types of students we will have in the classroom, it is important to understand the integration of all of these aspects into the classroom. Technology is especially prevalent because of the dependency that many students have on the use of technology inside and outside the classroom.
Chapter 14 introduces the idea of existential intelligence, the ninth intelligence, in the classroom. This intelligence is not officially included as an “intelligence” because it does not fit all the criteria that has been previously designated. This new intelligence is more focused on the philosophical perspective of the meaning of life and higher power in each student. This intelligence could create some controversy because it could include areas that some people might not want included in the classroom. This new intelligence will most definitely raise some concern based on its focus, but should definitely be looked at and incorporated into the everyday classroom.
Ashley Libby
Chapter seven explains that each Multiple Intelligence “Provides a context for asking some searching questions about these factors in the classroom that promote or interfere with learning and those elements absent from the room that could be incorporated to facilitate student progress.” (100). The book goes over questions regarding the different intelligences that teachers should think about when planning lessons and considering the students learning. The chapter emphasizes the different types of activity centers. There are four types of activity centers. The types are; permanent open-ended, temporary topic-specific, temporary open-ended, and permanent topic-specific activity centers. Activity centers “provide students with the opportunity to engage in “active” learning.” (109).
Chapter nine explains what a school that has integrated Multiple Intelligence looks like. Schools that have administrators that help structure these schools using these skills help to make that every student is provided the opportunity to experience contact with each of the eight intelligences every day. This chapter explains that there are three fundamental key members of the school staff in the ultimate MI school. An assessment specialist is the member responsible for creating the overall picture of each student’s strengths, limitations, and interests in the eight intelligences. The student-curriculum broker is the person that serves as the bridge between the student’s abilities and the available resources in the school. The last fundamental member is the school-community broker who is the connection between the “student’s intellectual proclivities” (126) and the available resources in the community.
Chapter 13 talks about the three applications of the MI theory. The first theory is computer technology and this is about how many uses computers have in the classrooms. Computers have many capabilities including data, pictures, multi-media projects, videos, etc. Students can use these different parts of the technology and still be able to express their many intelligence’s. Cultural diversity is the second application of MI theory. Cultural diversity is shown everywhere and it is important to remember that ever culture has and uses all the intelligences. Career counseling shows students the different job occupations that match up with the different intelligences. It exposes the kids to these occupations through visiting trips and field trips. This allows students to be able to choose what career path they want to try and pursue. It is important that students know they have many choices to pick when it comes to career opportunities.
Chapter 14 talks about a new intelligence. This new intelligence is called existential intelligence. Gardner considered the intelligence to be including into MI theory. These inclusions include; culture value, developmental history, symbol systems, exceptional individuals, psychometric studies, evolutionary plausibility, and brain research. Gardner also considered exactly how someone might use this new intelligence in the classroom using the subjects; art, geography, history, mathematics, science, and literature. There are many opportunities to use this new intelligence and take the students deep into the material being studied.
Cole Phillips
In chapter seven of Multiple Intelligences in the Classroom, Thomas Armstrong discusses ‘ecology’ and physical environment of the classroom. He discusses a classroom environment’s affects of any number of the eight multiple intelligences and the students who learn best by them. Armstrong discusses visual learners being successful in a visually stimulating classroom, plastered with color, posters, and an eye-catching aesthetic. Spatial learners would do well with an open-concept classroom, and naturalistic learners could see a potentially higher success rate in a classroom with many windows and an environment that feels less trapped and commercial, and more freeing and natural. Students, on the first day of school, will assess the classroom environment, make a decision, and take a comfortable seat for them. By organizing the classroom in different ways, and with respect for the eight different multiple intelligences, a teacher is creating an ‘ecology’ conducive to learning on a differentiated level.
Armstrong offers a hopeful stance throughout chapter nine. His is a position attemptedly dissuading the continuation of the traditional, flawed classroom (as is his opinion). Instead he advocates that the concepts of MI begin to be truly integrated into the classroom in the hopes that a larger body of students will be reachable, teachable, and will grow as a result. We must offer, Armstrong asserts, a variety of elective classes and extra-curriculars for students in order to allow the opportunity for experience-based learning and growth. From arts programs, to math, and from chess club to cheerleading, its important that we offer a wealth of options for students so that they might discover their passions, loves, and driving forces behind the desire to learn, to succeed, and to, ultimately, move on to the next level of education. The chapter touches on specialists in the classroom as well, and the best ways to move students to such a level.
Chapter thirteen discusses three different ideas of MI integration, being technology (which Armstrong calls intelligence ‘neutral’), cultural diversity, and career counseling. While cultural diversity is imperative to integrate as best as possible into the classroom, we must be cautious, as Armstrong suggests, when attributing multiple intelligences to culturally foreign students, as all cultures differ greatly and, subsequently, make such decision-making more difficult simply because of lessened ability to understand inherent qualities. The career counseling aspect of the chapter is one of having discussions with students on how to integrate their MIs, their passions, and their desires into their future careers. Armstrong makes a focus on technology, as we have been in the classroom. Personally, I’ve had enough. While an effective tool, it is not a defining means of inspiring curricula, and, in my opinion, has little to do with integration of multiple intelligences in the classroom beyond a certain, minute level.
Armstrong goes on to say, in chapter fourteen, that Gardner excluded what may be an intelligence theory that is more important, today, than ever. If there has ever been a time for us to account for an existential learning style, it is today, where loners are getting lonelier, and questions are growing ever deeper. For myself, this is among the most important intelligences on the scale.
Tyler Brown
These four chapters of MI enlighten us to the fact that simply understanding what the intelligences are and attempting to incorporate them into a lesson is only the beginning of MI application. Chapter 7 talks about how it is important to set up the “ecology” of the classroom in order to foster MI growth. It is suggested that rooms have multiple “activity centers” where students may make their choice to visit and work on an activity that is related to what type of intelligence they prefer to use or develop. Beyond just the physical layout of the classroom or school in its entirety, there are still other things we must take into consideration when making sure our school appeals to the multiple intelligences. This was interesting to learn about because hopefully in our early career as teachers we are able to suggest such things to our administrators (or maybe for some of us become the administrators and take the project head-on). If, out of chapter 9 there was one thing that stuck out to me, it was the discussion about current school tendencies to cut sports teams or extra-curricular activities when faced with budget cuts. This was a topic of discussion that was prevalent back when I was in high school and getting interested in educational politics, and it is amazing that schools are still failing to recognize the pitfall of that common reaction.
Chapter 13 discussed something that many of us likely made a connection with in regards to our work in Stage 1,2, and 3 of our Unit creation. The necessity to make explicit the idea that everything students are learning is applied to the real world. Armstrong makes sure to put forth the idea that when teaching multiple intelligences, that we as educators should assist students in making connections about how developing certain intelligences will apply to real world occupations. It is also important to discuss how MI appeals to different cultures while not mindlessly falling into assumptive stereotypes about those cultures. It was suggested that a teacher might talk about culturally different and highly successful individuals in history and how they used specific intelligences to impact the world. I thought that was a great idea because it allowed students to identify with their culture while making the connection of how powerful MI learning can be in the real world. Lastly, I was extremely pleased to have covered the existential intelligence, as I believe I personally appeal to this type as it is described I the chapter. Also, as a total history nerd, I can’t help but feel the need to connect historical events into a larger picture of human life and the purpose of existence. I know there are many like-minded people who benefit greatly from such discussions, and that should not be ignored if we are to appeal to a truly diverse population of students. If taught correctly, existential intelligence will help break the barriers that currently separate many students from one another based on factors of race, gender, socioeconomic status, etc. as it allows for a discussion about human existence that provides a sense of “one-ness” amongst the entire group.
Michael Diffin
Chapter seven in MI focuses on the classroom environment and how it can be molded by MI theory. There are many ways to organize the classroom so that it is conducive to many multiple intelligences. There are a plethora of ways that we can organize the classroom in order to facilitate a positive, healthy, and fair work environment for our students so they all have the ability to learn equally whatever their learning style may be. There are ways to organize the classroom so that it is broken up into spaces dedicated to each of the intelligences so that the students can learn the way that they need too. These classrooms can be divided into temporary topic specif areas, temporary open ended activity centers, permanent specific areas, and permanent open ended activity centers.
Chapter nine talks about the differences in the traditional schools from the MI concentrated schools. The traditional schools normally remove many of the multiple intelligences from the school as a result of them being seen as less important in the general concept of the school. The MI's that are normally removed are the bodily/kinesthetic, the musical, the spatial, the naturalist, the interpersonal, and the interpersonal. These tend to be the more unwanted subjects in the schools because they are seen as accoutrements to the learning and not necessary to the schooling itself. The schools developed for the facilitation of the multiple intelligences acknowledge the fact that simply having the classes that may be associated with the different intelligences the different intelligences need to be integrated into all classes. The idea of the MI school is seen along the lines of a children's museum, the beginning of the day there should be in the style of traditional classes but the afternoon should be in the community to further the subjects that they spend the morning working on.
Chapter thirteen in MI consists of other applications to the MI theory. There are plenty of other ways to implement the MI theory to education including through computers, cultural diversity, and career counseling. Computers are a great way to reach out to many of the MI's as they are not specific to any one of the MI's. There are many software programs that reach out to many of the multiple intelligences, a few of my favorites are ones such as: naturalist reference guides, music literature tutors, virtual-reality system software, etc. The next implementation into education is cultural diversity. It is important to embrace the different ways that different cultures think, something that can help further the education of everyone in the classroom. The Third aspect that can be integrated into education is career counseling. The MI theory is to help students find what they want to do with their lives through their learning and how they learn. When a student finds out how they learn and what calls out to them they are going to want to implement that into how they work, move towards a career that fits with that intelligence.
The fourteenth chapter in MI is about the possible ninth intelligence, the existential. Personally I feel as if this ninth intelligence fits me more than any other and from all that this chapter says about it works with everything I believe and shift towards. The way I think about certain subjects appears to line up with this and none of it is ever integrated into education.
Devin Boilard
MI Chapters: 7, 9, 13, & 14
In chapter 13 of Multiple Intelligences, authorThomas Armstrong introduces other applications of MI theory in the classroom, he breaks them down into three parts: computer technology, cultural diversity, and career counseling. Technology has become a great tool to help foster learning as well as bring a level of entertainment to the process; its ability to work within the MI theory is no exception. Armstrong notes the stance of computers as “intelligence neutral zones”, removing the stereotypical assessment of their use purely for the logical/mathematically inclined. Rather the possibilities of computer technology emerge through the use of software programs. Armstrong suggests using MI theory to help with the selection process of what programs to promote and use in your classroom. Through selection of various features and programs teachers have the opportunity to interface with select intelligences or incorporate all into one learning experience, such as with the use of multi-media projects. Second, the topic of cultural diversity and the use of MI theory, this can show itself in the classroom through the purposeful inclusion of an intelligence due to its significance to a student’s heritage and culture. Lastly the use of MI to help steer career counseling is discussed. This one of the more obvious uses of MI theory but yet an important one. By connecting a student’s skills to real life scenarios you empower them and show meaning in their abilities. Chapter 14 of MI introduces the possible 9th intelligence, existentialism, and its applications in the classroom. Gardner describes this intelligence as “having a concern with ultimate life issues.” Students who posses this intelligence have the ability to think large scale and dive deep into their thinking process. In the humanities the role religion plays is a significant one, to discuss the part it has played in wars can not just stop at a name, I must push my students to understand how opposing sides beliefs and ideals are so fundamentally different they are grounds for warfare, only then can they truly explore the topic.
Table of Contents
Abstract & Synthesis: MI Chapters 7, 9, 13, & 14
Group 2: Devin Boilard, Ashley Godbout, & Russell Warren
Abstract:
In Chapters 7 and 9 of Thomas Armstrong's Multiple Intelligences in the Classroom, the author delves into the implications and importances of integrating MI theory in the organization and planning of both the classroom and the entire school. On a micro scale, the classroom is probably the most important environment the students find themselves on a daily basis, and has a huge influence on their learning. Therefore, it's important to make it welcoming to all types of learners. Earlier in the book Armstrong highlighted MI activities, but in this chapter he focuses on aesthetics and atmosphere. He lists many examples, including, but not limited to, keeping a proper vocabulary, using posters to reflect the topic, arranging furniture accommodatingly, fostering trust, and providing independent spaces. A specific example he stresses to use is MI Activity Centers, where the students move around the room and learns about MI theory and learning styles. He expands this to the entire school and administration as well. It's unfortunate that when budgets are stressed, art and phys. ed classes are the first to go. With MI theory, these classes should be beefed up and required for students to try out, and make sure there are opportunities for students to take those classes all of their years in school. He also stresses for their to be people like guidance counselors to follow students' progress and development, decide what specific classes specific students should take, and provide the students with resources to use.
In chapter 13 of MI Armstrong introduces other applications of MI theory in the classroom, he breaks them down into three parts: computer technology, cultural diversity, and career counseling. Technology has become a great tool to help foster learning as well as bring a level of entertainment to the process; its ability to work within the MI theory is no exception. Armstrong notes the stance of computers as “intelligence neutral zones”, removing the stereotypical assessment of their use purely for the logical/mathematically inclined. Rather the possibilities of computer technology emerge through the use of software programs. Armstrong suggests using MI theory to help with the selection process of what programs to promote and select for use in your classroom. Through selection of various features and programs teachers have the opportunity to interface with select intelligences or incorporate all into one learning experience. One the most recent and emerging possibilities in this realm is with the use of multimedia software, features of many of these tools allow for an emerging of intelligences while still having a strong grounding in content. Second, the topic of cultural diversity and the use of MI theory, in these paragraphs Armstrong promotes the use of MI theory to develop curriculums into multi cultural units. While it is noted to be sure not to limit the abilities of certain cultures to just one intelligence, it is useful to explore how other intelligences have elevated status around the world. This can show itself in the classroom through the purposeful inclusion of an intelligence due to its significance to a students heritage and culture. By incorporating the use of music or dance in the classroom the topic of the Anang in Nigeria and their societal requirements involving both can be discussed. Not only does this enlighten students to the ways of other cultures but also allows for validation of students who are culturally diverse and brings a topic into context to their life. Lastly the use of MI to help steer career counseling is discussed. This one of the more obvious uses of MI theory but yet an important one. By connecting a student’s skills to real life scenarios you empower them and show meaning in their abilities.
Chapter 14 of MI introduces the possible 9th intelligence, existentialism, and its applications in the classroom. Gardner describes this intelligence as “having a concern with ultimate life issues” students who posses this intelligence have the ability to think large scale and dive deep into their thinking process. When applying this intelligence in the classroom it is important not to promote the beliefs of specific religions but rather to explore them to gain a better understanding of their beliefs and how they apply to your content. Existential intelligence can be incorporated in all disciplines, its strength being that it allows for direct relation to your subject matter. In the humanities the role religion plays is a significant one, to discuss the role it has played in wars can not just stop at a name, how the opposing sides views differ and why that is grounds for warfare is crucial to understanding the battle. Rooted deep into the history of mathematics and science are the questions of life, meaning and purpose. Many early scientists and mathematicians were equal part philosophers. Lastly in the arts Gardner explains the connection between the submerging of oneself in artistic work and its allowance to place oneself into the big picture of life. It is during these process that we find ourselves reflecting on the big questions such as: What is the meaning of life? Why is there evil? And what is love?
Synthesis:
Chapter seven introduces the idea of setting up our classrooms so there are different stations or sports designated to all the intelligences. Overall, we thought this was a cool idea because it allows students to explore the multiple intelligences and find where they fit. Cheyenne notes that this idea reminded her of kindergarten, but no one mentioned that there high school classroom was set up this way? It's interesting to think about why this structure in the classroom fell through the cracks. Everyone thought that idea of MI school was a neat idea but thought it might take time to implement into already established public schools. In chapter 13 there was a part that introduced using multiple intelligences to explore career choices for students. Meghan says, "The key for the earlier stage is to let the students come up with what they want to pursue rather than dictating a career for them based on their intelligence strengths." Exposing students to career opportunities in each of the intelligences is extremely important at the middle and high school level. Lastly, everyone commented on the introduction of the existential intelligence, which is considered the unofficial ninth intelligence. Most of us thought it was a great idea and we'd be open to implementing it into our classes, however we understand it's controversy. People thought this might help students develop their own views and could allow for real life application. Chris says it perfectly with this statement, "The goal of multiple intelligence is to build each student’s strength and weaknesses while being adaptable to each student’s needs. Even if the intelligence may be overshadowed by the others, it can only help the students to be exposed to other ideas."
Cheyenne McCarthy
Chapter seven of Thomas Armstrong's "Multiple Intelligences in the Classroom" is titled MI Theory and the Classroom Environment. As you can see from the title, this chapter is all about promoting the usage of MI Theory as a way to structure your classroom in a way that appeals to all students. The chapter describes ecological factors of learning through each intelligence, as well as "MI Activity Centers". Creating MI activity centers is a way of restructuring your classroom to create "intelligence-friendly" areas which allows all of your students to explore and find their niche. I thought this was funny because all I could think of was my Kindergarten class
, which was set up in this way, with multiple stations.
Chapter nine, titled The MI School, this chapter focuses on the full integration of MI Theory into the school, not just select classrooms. This would be an entire school that caters to the student based off their specific learning style (based off this theory). Although I do think this is a brilliant idea, I do think that it is going to take some time to start integrating this method into classrooms then an entire school. I think that offering one or two classes that really cater to each learning style would be very beneficial. There would be a lower drop-out rate, students would be excited to come to school; even the students that say they hate school. It may just take on or two classes to open their eyes to the possibilities of learning being fun and/or fascinating. I think Mount Blue has been trying to do this with their Foster Tech school.
The use of computer technology, cultural diversity, and career counseling were main points in chapter 13, Other Applications of MI Theory. It discusses how computers are “intelligence-neutral mechanisms”, which I had never really thought about, but it’s true. It also gives you a bunch of examples in Figure 13.1 that caters to individual learning styles. It also gives you many examples of each, because within each intelligence, you are going to have different interests that students will have. This chapter also gives examples of jobs specific to individual intelligences. I will just note as well, that “teacher” shows up an six of the eight intelligences, school principal was on one of the two that did not have teacher listed, and only one had intelligence style had no form of a school type job. Just thought that was interesting.
The idea of a ninth intelligence, which was the discussion topic of chapter 14 (MI Theory and Existential Intelligence), sort of made me laugh; only because Existential Intelligence is based off the “concern with ultimate life issues”. This is where I want you to just stop and think about this for a minute. A concern with ultimate life issues, really think about that; I’m sure we could say we all have, some people more than others, but now think about how long you have been learning with your specific intelligence. What I’m getting at is, many of us have been learning a certain way for as long as we can remember, so to think of an five-year-old as having the Existential Intelligence is almost terrifying to me, but not surprising. We are now living in the time of the “helicopter parent” which is the parent who is always hovering, when their child is hurt it’s always an emergency whether it is a broken arm or merely a papercut. We are creating children who are/will become stress cases. At age you should be carefree, there should be little to no stress, thinking of what you’re going to get for snack, not thinking of ultimate life issues.
Tyler Michaud
The seventh chapter of Multiple Intelligences in the Classroom, by Thomas Armstrong, focused on inviting multiple intelligence theory into the classroom environment, or “classroom ecology”. By fostering a classroom that meets the needs of all the intelligences, student success should, in theory, be a given. Now, this is not solely about curriculum, rather the organization of the classroom itself. For example, a naturalistic student would prefer to have light coming into the classroom from outdoors; or, a spatial students may crave a aesthetically pleasing room with many posters.Chapter nine explored further the idea that schools should shift from the traditional linguistic and logical methods to embracing MI Theory, doing so will reach a larger audience. Often times, when budget cuts occur in a school district the arts and sports are cut to save money, completely eliminating the opportunities for many students to develop essential skills. Additionally, In the ideal “MI School” their would be three additional employees: assessment specialist (in charge of recording each students’ progress and development in each intelligence), student-curriculum broker (pairs students with their ideal classes and materials based on intelligences), and school-community broker (places and connects students with out-of-school resources and opportunities that will benefit their personal strengths and interests).
Moving on to chapter thirteen, the author explores three additional places where MI Theory could be applied: computer technology, cultural diversity, and career counseling. Personally, I think that incorporating technology into the classroom is critical because we live in a time where everything is driven by it. Also, students living today have all had computers and technology ingrained in their lives, it would be foolish to neglect to opportunity to use their pre-existing knowledge as a tool to hasten learning.
Chapter fourteen introduced a new intelligence, though it does not meet all of the criteria so it is not included yet, “existential intelligence”. This new intelligence refers to the more philosophical perspective of viewing the meaning of life and a higher power. Although there could be much controversy teaching and implementing this intelligence, I think it could be a great tool to use for further investigation of materials. Especially, in high school students are truly starting to develop their own views and this could allow for real-life application, which is a proven to be successful.
Overall, these chapters all had an underlying theme of change and flexibility within the classroom. A teacher whom intends to apply MI Theory effectively must be willing to admit mistakes and change their plans. Through understanding, flexibility, and self-evaluation, teachers should be able to successfully implement MI Theory into their classrooms; doing so will permit all students the opportunity to succeed and to develop each intelligence throughout the course of the class.
Matt Potter
Chapter seven of MI talks about the opportunities we have as teachers to be creative, think about things that we usually overlook, classroom seating, and the overall environment of the class. The chapter describes all eight intelligences, and how they relate to a student of that intelligence feel in class. They present this really cool idea about have MI activity centers in schools. This would set up different environments for students of different intelligences to study, do homework and learn. This would allow kids to be really productive. If schools provided study rooms for our intrapersonal learners, and a social room for interpersonal students, then I believe we would find this to be an effective for our students. Adjusting environments is important as teachers because we need to modify our way, for the best interests of our students.Chapter nine focuses on MI in the school as well. It discusses the importance of gearing an entire curriculum to integrating multiple intelligences. In a MI school, students focus on learning regular material in irregular ways. Project based learning is the number one focus of the curriculum. Also in this curriculum students are to be assessed and evaluated through the use of portfolios. In this curriculum students spend the second half of their day in a social learning environment, like being out in the community. I think this curriculum is a great idea and could be very useful; however, I think it would be hard to create. It seems to me like something that would be difficult to get everyone on board with.
Chapter thirteen talks about applying multiple intelligence theories, and translating them into effective classroom activities. Many useful resources are given in this chapter that can be used in different ways, and bring the realization of becoming a teacher to the foreground. This all includes diversity and the use of technology with in the classroom. We as teachers are able to incorporate all different learning styles with the use of a single technology. The lists of games in this chapter were really interesting and got my mind thinking! This chapter is really helpful, and s a great resource for teachers. This book will be useful as a teacher, and I will refer back to it.
Chapter fourteen looks into the possibilities of a ninth multiple intelligence. Gardner has yet to complete the exploration of this intelligence. This intelligence would be known as the “why” intelligence or the existential. Students with this intelligence are highly self aware if their place and are always wondering about the “why”. This is mostly approachable in the mathematical, and science fields. This chapter shows how the existential students will show their strengths in different courses, but also this intelligence comes out best with controversy. I feel like this intelligence is a great idea. I have most definitely seen student who are always asking why, even if they understand. They are always looking for understanding. I feel like it is a good possibility, but I don’t believe it will actually be added because it brings upon a lot of underlying issues. Schools would have to tread carefully and it would be easy to upset parents.
Ashley Godbout
Chapter 7 invites the idea that classroom environments today need to be rebuilt in order to accommodate all learning styles. An application of MI theory in the classroom includes organizing the room so that certain areas of the room are designated to each of the eight intelligences. There are four types: permanent and open-ended, temporary and open-ended, temporary and topic-specific, and permanent and topic specific. My favorite is the temporary open-ended stations because they can be quickly set up and taken down and invite students to explore open-ended activities. It’s also a good way for students to learn about the idea of multiple intelligences and have them experience them.Chapter 9 explains what a multiple intelligence school would look like. They should include environments where learning is hands-on, interdisciplinary, based on real-life situations, and all done in an informal atmosphere. Traditional subjects should incorporate non-traditional ways like projects, community involvement, and field trips like art and science museums. The chapter continues with what staff an MI school would have and they include a student-curriculum broker, school-community broker, and an assessment specialist. One idea I like of the total learning experience that MI schools foster are school wide themes. The school staff select two themes a year and it helps focus curricular activity, which is especially important for middle and high school students to connect what they’re learning across all disciplines.
Three other areas of application of MI theory are computer technology, cultural diversity and career counseling. Computers can be used for many things including multi-media projects, which can include many of the intelligences. If one puts texts, data charts, pictures, songs, and videos they are expressing many intelligences and putting it all together is intrapersonal intelligence. What’s important to note about what this chapter says is that every culture has and uses all eight intelligences. Career counseling includes exposing students to occupations related to each of the intelligences through visits and field trips. This allows students to make their own decisions about what they want to do. It’s so important to give students these opportunities especially at the middle and high school level.
Chapter 14 introduces the idea of a ninth intelligence called the existential intelligence. Howard Gardner defines it as “a concern with ultimate life issues.”(182) This intelligence could propose some controversy because they might be violating students’ belief systems, but it is not promoting religion or spirituality in any way. This intelligence addresses humanity’s life questions and how humans struggle to find answers. I think it’s a tough decision to make as a teacher to decide whether or not they want to incorporate this into curriculum but I think it’s extremely relevant. Some students might not be exposed to such conversation to be able to compose their own views. Such experiences in addressing open-ended questions and subjects could be very useful for students to apply them to situations later on in their life.
Collectively, these chapters continue to develop the MI classroom, teacher and school and what they look like. These efforts are to understand and successfully teach to all different learners.
Christopher Vogel
When I think about classroom environment I think of how a classroom is set up physically. Chapter 7 takes the concept in a completely different direction. Classroom environment does not just concern itself with how a room is set up but the atmosphere as well. The chapter focuses on linguistic as an example. As a teacher if I am talking at too high or low of a vocabulary level, students could be put off (feel discouraged, intimidated, bored etc.). As a teacher I need to take the time to create a working environment for the student that is appealing to all the different intelligences. One helpful way to encourage the different intelligences is to set up activity stations. Although this may be a little more difficult in a secondary education setting, I could use stations as a way to give students multiple choices on what classwork to complete. I could group them according to their intelligence preference and assign a quadrant of the room to several different intelligences.
Sometimes working on the MIs in the classroom is not enough. Chapter 9 discusses methods that can be used school wide to improve the learning conditions outside of linguistic and logical. The students would have specialists who would help direct projects or help them find resources specific to their intelligence preference. However, the book encourages the idea that each student is exposed to all forms of intelligence and not kept to their strengths. In my future school I hope to be able to encourage the school to introduce some of these methods if they are not already in place.
Chapter 13 deals with three areas of interest not yet covered in the book. Computer technology is an area that has potential for any of the intelligences. The book stresses that computers are intelligence neutral which means that anyone has the potential to use them and are not relegated to “nerds.” The chapter also discusses the cultural diversity of the classroom and how this diversity can be a point of discussion about different ways intelligences are valued in other cultures. The chapter makes the point that as educators we should be wary of specifying intelligences for other cultures as each culture has strengths in all intelligences. The last section involves introducing career choices for students. The key for the earlier stage is to let the students come up with what they want to pursue rather than dictating a career for them based on their intelligence strengths. The book suggests brining students on field trips to expose but not direct their choice for a career.
Despite existential intelligence not being classified as a full intelligence, I will still work with it in the classroom. The goal of multiple intelligence is to build each student’s strength and weaknesses while being adaptable to each student’s needs. There is enough of a foundation for the existential intelligence to create some class activities around it. Even if the intelligence may be overshadowed by the others, it can only help the students to be exposed to other ideas.
Meghan Hughes
Chapter 7 of Multiple Intelligences in the Classroom, focused on “classroom ecology.” It is important to bring multiple intelligences in to the classroom not only for the individual in focus, but also for all the other students in the classroom. This idea not only deals with the content of the classroom, but also with the classroom management and the style in which the class is formatted. It essential for all students that the class ecology does not take away, but rather adds to the effectiveness of the classroom and the students learning. It is also essential that student’s work be passed back in a timely fashion. It is important for the students to feel as though they are being fairly evaluated, and that they all have an equal opportunity to succeed. Chapter 9 discusses an extension on the subject of grading in the classroom. As a student, I always found it ironic that it was almost as if my teachers were trying to trick me into getting an answer incorrect on an assessment. It is essential that we as teachers do not try to disadvantage our students on any sort of assignment or assessment. The book uses extra credit as an example of a way that our students may be disadvantaged. Although it may not seem it, if any information is important enough to be on the exam at all, it should be included as a question for assessment. It is also important that we do not reward students for getting answers correct that have no bearing on the content at hand. It is also important that students understand the importance of the information, and that information is carried across boundaries on a specific content area.Chapter 13 focuses on the additional areas where multiple intelligences could be included: computer technology, cultural diversity, and career counseling. I believe that each of these aspects be included in the classroom in one-way or another. With knowing the types of students we will have in the classroom, it is important to understand the integration of all of these aspects into the classroom. Technology is especially prevalent because of the dependency that many students have on the use of technology inside and outside the classroom.
Chapter 14 introduces the idea of existential intelligence, the ninth intelligence, in the classroom. This intelligence is not officially included as an “intelligence” because it does not fit all the criteria that has been previously designated. This new intelligence is more focused on the philosophical perspective of the meaning of life and higher power in each student. This intelligence could create some controversy because it could include areas that some people might not want included in the classroom. This new intelligence will most definitely raise some concern based on its focus, but should definitely be looked at and incorporated into the everyday classroom.
Ashley Libby
Chapter seven explains that each Multiple Intelligence “Provides a context for asking some searching questions about these factors in the classroom that promote or interfere with learning and those elements absent from the room that could be incorporated to facilitate student progress.” (100). The book goes over questions regarding the different intelligences that teachers should think about when planning lessons and considering the students learning. The chapter emphasizes the different types of activity centers. There are four types of activity centers. The types are; permanent open-ended, temporary topic-specific, temporary open-ended, and permanent topic-specific activity centers. Activity centers “provide students with the opportunity to engage in “active” learning.” (109).
Chapter nine explains what a school that has integrated Multiple Intelligence looks like. Schools that have administrators that help structure these schools using these skills help to make that every student is provided the opportunity to experience contact with each of the eight intelligences every day. This chapter explains that there are three fundamental key members of the school staff in the ultimate MI school. An assessment specialist is the member responsible for creating the overall picture of each student’s strengths, limitations, and interests in the eight intelligences. The student-curriculum broker is the person that serves as the bridge between the student’s abilities and the available resources in the school. The last fundamental member is the school-community broker who is the connection between the “student’s intellectual proclivities” (126) and the available resources in the community.
Chapter 13 talks about the three applications of the MI theory. The first theory is computer technology and this is about how many uses computers have in the classrooms. Computers have many capabilities including data, pictures, multi-media projects, videos, etc. Students can use these different parts of the technology and still be able to express their many intelligence’s. Cultural diversity is the second application of MI theory. Cultural diversity is shown everywhere and it is important to remember that ever culture has and uses all the intelligences. Career counseling shows students the different job occupations that match up with the different intelligences. It exposes the kids to these occupations through visiting trips and field trips. This allows students to be able to choose what career path they want to try and pursue. It is important that students know they have many choices to pick when it comes to career opportunities.
Chapter 14 talks about a new intelligence. This new intelligence is called existential intelligence. Gardner considered the intelligence to be including into MI theory. These inclusions include; culture value, developmental history, symbol systems, exceptional individuals, psychometric studies, evolutionary plausibility, and brain research. Gardner also considered exactly how someone might use this new intelligence in the classroom using the subjects; art, geography, history, mathematics, science, and literature. There are many opportunities to use this new intelligence and take the students deep into the material being studied.
Cole Phillips
In chapter seven of Multiple Intelligences in the Classroom, Thomas Armstrong discusses ‘ecology’ and physical environment of the classroom. He discusses a classroom environment’s affects of any number of the eight multiple intelligences and the students who learn best by them. Armstrong discusses visual learners being successful in a visually stimulating classroom, plastered with color, posters, and an eye-catching aesthetic. Spatial learners would do well with an open-concept classroom, and naturalistic learners could see a potentially higher success rate in a classroom with many windows and an environment that feels less trapped and commercial, and more freeing and natural. Students, on the first day of school, will assess the classroom environment, make a decision, and take a comfortable seat for them. By organizing the classroom in different ways, and with respect for the eight different multiple intelligences, a teacher is creating an ‘ecology’ conducive to learning on a differentiated level.
Armstrong offers a hopeful stance throughout chapter nine. His is a position attemptedly dissuading the continuation of the traditional, flawed classroom (as is his opinion). Instead he advocates that the concepts of MI begin to be truly integrated into the classroom in the hopes that a larger body of students will be reachable, teachable, and will grow as a result. We must offer, Armstrong asserts, a variety of elective classes and extra-curriculars for students in order to allow the opportunity for experience-based learning and growth. From arts programs, to math, and from chess club to cheerleading, its important that we offer a wealth of options for students so that they might discover their passions, loves, and driving forces behind the desire to learn, to succeed, and to, ultimately, move on to the next level of education. The chapter touches on specialists in the classroom as well, and the best ways to move students to such a level.
Chapter thirteen discusses three different ideas of MI integration, being technology (which Armstrong calls intelligence ‘neutral’), cultural diversity, and career counseling. While cultural diversity is imperative to integrate as best as possible into the classroom, we must be cautious, as Armstrong suggests, when attributing multiple intelligences to culturally foreign students, as all cultures differ greatly and, subsequently, make such decision-making more difficult simply because of lessened ability to understand inherent qualities. The career counseling aspect of the chapter is one of having discussions with students on how to integrate their MIs, their passions, and their desires into their future careers. Armstrong makes a focus on technology, as we have been in the classroom. Personally, I’ve had enough. While an effective tool, it is not a defining means of inspiring curricula, and, in my opinion, has little to do with integration of multiple intelligences in the classroom beyond a certain, minute level.
Armstrong goes on to say, in chapter fourteen, that Gardner excluded what may be an intelligence theory that is more important, today, than ever. If there has ever been a time for us to account for an existential learning style, it is today, where loners are getting lonelier, and questions are growing ever deeper. For myself, this is among the most important intelligences on the scale.
Tyler Brown
These four chapters of MI enlighten us to the fact that simply understanding what the intelligences are and attempting to incorporate them into a lesson is only the beginning of MI application. Chapter 7 talks about how it is important to set up the “ecology” of the classroom in order to foster MI growth. It is suggested that rooms have multiple “activity centers” where students may make their choice to visit and work on an activity that is related to what type of intelligence they prefer to use or develop. Beyond just the physical layout of the classroom or school in its entirety, there are still other things we must take into consideration when making sure our school appeals to the multiple intelligences. This was interesting to learn about because hopefully in our early career as teachers we are able to suggest such things to our administrators (or maybe for some of us become the administrators and take the project head-on). If, out of chapter 9 there was one thing that stuck out to me, it was the discussion about current school tendencies to cut sports teams or extra-curricular activities when faced with budget cuts. This was a topic of discussion that was prevalent back when I was in high school and getting interested in educational politics, and it is amazing that schools are still failing to recognize the pitfall of that common reaction.Chapter 13 discussed something that many of us likely made a connection with in regards to our work in Stage 1,2, and 3 of our Unit creation. The necessity to make explicit the idea that everything students are learning is applied to the real world. Armstrong makes sure to put forth the idea that when teaching multiple intelligences, that we as educators should assist students in making connections about how developing certain intelligences will apply to real world occupations. It is also important to discuss how MI appeals to different cultures while not mindlessly falling into assumptive stereotypes about those cultures. It was suggested that a teacher might talk about culturally different and highly successful individuals in history and how they used specific intelligences to impact the world. I thought that was a great idea because it allowed students to identify with their culture while making the connection of how powerful MI learning can be in the real world. Lastly, I was extremely pleased to have covered the existential intelligence, as I believe I personally appeal to this type as it is described I the chapter. Also, as a total history nerd, I can’t help but feel the need to connect historical events into a larger picture of human life and the purpose of existence. I know there are many like-minded people who benefit greatly from such discussions, and that should not be ignored if we are to appeal to a truly diverse population of students. If taught correctly, existential intelligence will help break the barriers that currently separate many students from one another based on factors of race, gender, socioeconomic status, etc. as it allows for a discussion about human existence that provides a sense of “one-ness” amongst the entire group.
Michael Diffin
Chapter seven in MI focuses on the classroom environment and how it can be molded by MI theory. There are many ways to organize the classroom so that it is conducive to many multiple intelligences. There are a plethora of ways that we can organize the classroom in order to facilitate a positive, healthy, and fair work environment for our students so they all have the ability to learn equally whatever their learning style may be. There are ways to organize the classroom so that it is broken up into spaces dedicated to each of the intelligences so that the students can learn the way that they need too. These classrooms can be divided into temporary topic specif areas, temporary open ended activity centers, permanent specific areas, and permanent open ended activity centers.Chapter nine talks about the differences in the traditional schools from the MI concentrated schools. The traditional schools normally remove many of the multiple intelligences from the school as a result of them being seen as less important in the general concept of the school. The MI's that are normally removed are the bodily/kinesthetic, the musical, the spatial, the naturalist, the interpersonal, and the interpersonal. These tend to be the more unwanted subjects in the schools because they are seen as accoutrements to the learning and not necessary to the schooling itself. The schools developed for the facilitation of the multiple intelligences acknowledge the fact that simply having the classes that may be associated with the different intelligences the different intelligences need to be integrated into all classes. The idea of the MI school is seen along the lines of a children's museum, the beginning of the day there should be in the style of traditional classes but the afternoon should be in the community to further the subjects that they spend the morning working on.
Chapter thirteen in MI consists of other applications to the MI theory. There are plenty of other ways to implement the MI theory to education including through computers, cultural diversity, and career counseling. Computers are a great way to reach out to many of the MI's as they are not specific to any one of the MI's. There are many software programs that reach out to many of the multiple intelligences, a few of my favorites are ones such as: naturalist reference guides, music literature tutors, virtual-reality system software, etc. The next implementation into education is cultural diversity. It is important to embrace the different ways that different cultures think, something that can help further the education of everyone in the classroom. The Third aspect that can be integrated into education is career counseling. The MI theory is to help students find what they want to do with their lives through their learning and how they learn. When a student finds out how they learn and what calls out to them they are going to want to implement that into how they work, move towards a career that fits with that intelligence.
The fourteenth chapter in MI is about the possible ninth intelligence, the existential. Personally I feel as if this ninth intelligence fits me more than any other and from all that this chapter says about it works with everything I believe and shift towards. The way I think about certain subjects appears to line up with this and none of it is ever integrated into education.
Devin Boilard
MI Chapters: 7, 9, 13, & 14In chapter 13 of Multiple Intelligences, authorThomas Armstrong introduces other applications of MI theory in the classroom, he breaks them down into three parts: computer technology, cultural diversity, and career counseling. Technology has become a great tool to help foster learning as well as bring a level of entertainment to the process; its ability to work within the MI theory is no exception. Armstrong notes the stance of computers as “intelligence neutral zones”, removing the stereotypical assessment of their use purely for the logical/mathematically inclined. Rather the possibilities of computer technology emerge through the use of software programs. Armstrong suggests using MI theory to help with the selection process of what programs to promote and use in your classroom. Through selection of various features and programs teachers have the opportunity to interface with select intelligences or incorporate all into one learning experience, such as with the use of multi-media projects. Second, the topic of cultural diversity and the use of MI theory, this can show itself in the classroom through the purposeful inclusion of an intelligence due to its significance to a student’s heritage and culture. Lastly the use of MI to help steer career counseling is discussed. This one of the more obvious uses of MI theory but yet an important one. By connecting a student’s skills to real life scenarios you empower them and show meaning in their abilities.
Chapter 14 of MI introduces the possible 9th intelligence, existentialism, and its applications in the classroom. Gardner describes this intelligence as “having a concern with ultimate life issues.” Students who posses this intelligence have the ability to think large scale and dive deep into their thinking process. In the humanities the role religion plays is a significant one, to discuss the part it has played in wars can not just stop at a name, I must push my students to understand how opposing sides beliefs and ideals are so fundamentally different they are grounds for warfare, only then can they truly explore the topic.